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As an Official War Artist, Bone spent some time in a variety of naval shipping during the Second World War, including aircraft carriers. This is the deck of an aircraft carrier, possibly the escort carrier HMS 'Pursuer', during the war. HMS 'Pursuer' played a vital part in guarding the Atlantic convoys. The painting has been taken from the bridge and shows aircraft on the flight deck with a number of sailors, preoccupied with the variety of tasks involved in aircraft taking off at sea. A pilot is shown on the companionway leading down from the bridge. The artist has thus portrayed the moment when three Grumman Wildcat fighters are about to take off to protect the convoy seen on the horizon. Stephen Bone was a prolific Admiralty war artist and a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve.